“Life is becoming more volatile for all of us. I came back from India, and my friends in the U.S. were losing their jobs. Part of what I tried to capture in this book is how people with very little support improvise to improve their lives in an incredibly unstable world, and what intelligence and ingenuity that takes … We often have an exaggerated sense of what nonprofits and governments are doing to help the poor, but the really inspiring thing is how much the poor are doing to help themselves.”
— Katherine Boo, author of the forthcoming book - Behind the Beautiful Forevers, interviewed in Marie Claire, February 2012
We can work it out
We Can Work It Out, The Beatles, 1965 (video: unknown)
Inspired by the print in yesterday’s post.
P.S. - What do you think Paul and John are laughing about?
✦ xoJM
Please let me know if I can translate for you.
✦ xoJM
Photo: iheartpgh | scafeds
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Can you say “I love boobies” without laughing?
(Thanks, Color Issue)
Expression with an Exact-o Knife
Paper Cut Letters suspended by pins by Annie Vought.
Email, text messages, instant messaging and Twitter are all examples of fun and immediate means of “written” communication. Through the computer I am in touch with people I may never have seen before and I can respond in real time to a loved one. But with the ubiquity of this access and convenience, we are losing the tangible handwritten letter. Handwritten records are fragments of individual histories. In the penmanship, word choice, and spelling the author is often revealed in spite of him/herself. A letter is physical confirmation of who we were at the moment it was written, or all we have left of a person or a time. — Annie Vought
(via lylaandblu)
Illustration: Oscar Ramos Orozco
7 Types of Creative Block (and What to Do About Them)
For a creative professional, a creative block isn’t just frustrating — it’s potentially career-damaging. When you rely on your creativity to pay the bills and build your reputation, you can’t afford to be short of ideas or the energy to put them into action.
How Do You Deal with Creative Blocks?
“Not many people in this world are as lucky as I’ve been. When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who told me I was a good writer, so I set out to become a writer myself. I’ve made my living as a writer for 70 years; been pretty good. During World War II, I wrote for the Army newspaper, the Stars & Stripes. After the war, I went to work in radio and television, because I didn’t think anyone was paying enough attention to the written word. I worked with a lot of great people who had the voice for radio or they looked good on television — but someone had to write what they said, and that was me. When I went on television, it was as a writer. I don’t think of myself as a television personality: I’m a writer who reads what he’s written. People have often told me I said the things they are thinking themselves. I probably haven’t said anything here that you didn’t already know, or have already thought: that’s what a writer does. There aren’t too many original thoughts in the world. A writer’s job is to tell the truth. I believe that if all the truth were known about everything in the world, it would be a better place to live. I know I’ve been terribly wrong sometimes, but I think I’ve been right more often than I’ve been wrong. I may have given the impression that I don’t care what anyone else thinks, but I do care; I care a lot. I have always hoped that people will like what I’ve written. Being liked is nice, but it’s not my intent. I’ve spent my first fifty years trying to become well-known as a writer, and the next thirty trying to avoid being famous. I walk down the street now, or go to a football game, and people shout ‘Hey Andy!’ And I hate that. I’ve done a lot of complaining here. But of all the things I’ve complained about, I can’t complain about my life. My wife Margie and I had four good kids; now there are grandchildren. I have two great-grandchildren, although they’re a little young for me to know how great they are. And all this time, I’ve been paid to say what is on my mind on television. You don’t get any luckier than that. This is a moment I’ve dreaded. I wish I could do this forever; I can’t though. But I’m not retiring. Writers don’t retire, and I’ll always be a writer. A lot of you have sent me wonderful letters and said good things to me when you meet me in the street. I wasn’t always gracious about it — it’s hard to accept being liked. I don’t say this often, but thank you. Although, if you see me in a restaurant, please let me eat my dinner.”
—
60 Minutes commentator ANDY ROONEY, on his final regular broadcast.
Thanks, Andy.
Splitscreen: A Love Story by JW Griffiths
“Nokia asked filmmakers to use its phones to shoot a movie, and one stellar result is this surprisingly gorgeous and tender short that brings two lovers together from across the Atlantic.”
(via thatkindofwoman)
